Isiolo is a town in Isiolo County, of which it is the capital. It is located in the upper eastern region of Kenya and geographically considered the centre of the country

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. It lies 285 kilometres north of the capital

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...

. The town grew around the local military camps, much of the population being descendants of former

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali ...

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' deri ...

s who had fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

as well as other

Cushitic The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and the Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As o ...

-speaking pastoral communities and the Ameru community. The town has an estimated population of 120,000people, most of them living around the outskirts of the town. Like most African cities, there has been a steady increase in the urban population in recent years, especially moving from as far as Moyale, Marsabit and Mandera. Isiolo town is also becoming a centre of interest because of its newly acquired status as a resort city cashing in on the popular Samburu and Shaba Game reserves, which have become preferred destinations after the famed Maasai Mara. Isiolo lies along the long A2 Road, leading towards Marsabit and Moyale much further north.

Overview

Isiolo is set to become a major part of Kenya's

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

plan Vision 2030. The plan calls for Isiolo to become a tourist centre that will include casinos, hotels, upscale retail outlets, a modern airport and transport facilities. Isiolo will also be a transport hub as the location of the fork of the

LAPSSET Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project, also known as Lamu corridor is a transport and infrastructure project in Kenya that, when complete, will be the country's second transport corridor. Kenya's other transport cor ...

. Isiolo District was designated as the Headquarters of the Northern frontier Districts while it was under the British East Africa Protectorate in 1922, until the North Eastern was carved out as a separate province in 1963 when Kenya gained its independence. Isiolo is also known for its large market, while brass, copper and aluminium

jewellery Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

-making is a local industry. Isiolo town is also a transport hub to the northern border town of Moyale. Trucks to and from Moyale make stop-overs boosting the hotel business in the town centre. Isiolo has been the headquarters of N.F.D.(Northern Frontier Districts) since the issue of the District Ordinance act 1937 & NFD commission 1962. During colonial days people from the other civil-administered districts of Kenya needed a special pass to visit Isiolo. Isiolo was made the headquarters of the District Commissioner, and the NFD was a closed district, as there was previously no urban centre to serve as district headquarters. The Samburu, Buffalo Springs and

Shaba National Reserve Shaba National Reserve is a protected area in Isiolo County in northern Kenya to the east of the Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. Together, the three reserves form a large protected area. The Shaba reserve has dramatic scenery in ...

s lie north of the town, while Lewa Downs reserve is located south of Isiolo. The Meru National Park lies in the North East of the town. Since 1995, the town has been the seat of the

Vicariate Apostolic of Isiolo The Apostolic Vicariate of Isiolo (''Vicariatus Apostolicus Isiolansus'') is a Latin Church missionary jurisdiction or vicariate apostolic in Eastern Province, Kenya. It is exempt to the Holy See, specifically its Roman Congregation for the E ...

. On July 14, 2005, Bishop Luigi Locati, who represented the Roman Catholic Church in Isiolo, was murdered. The High Court sent Father Guyo Waqo Malley and four others — Mohamed Molu, Aden Ibrahim Mohammed, Mahati Ali Halake and Roba Balla Bariche — to the gallows for planning and murdering Bishop Luigi Locati. The town of Isiolo is small but cosmopolitan. With a scenic beauty of hills surrounding the town and including an eclectic mix of peoples and cultures, Isiolo is home to the Niger–Congo and

Nilo-Saharan The Nilo-Saharan languages are a proposed family of African languages spoken by some 50–60 million people, mainly in the upper parts of the Chari and Nile rivers, including historic Nubia, north of where the two tributaries of the Nile meet. ...

-speaking Ameru, Samburu and Turkana, as well as the

-speaking Rendille, Somali and Boran people. The

residents, who first settled in the area as soldiers after

, are mostly business people who engage in livestock farming. Additionally, there are some Indian shopkeepers. The town is majority Muslim and has several mosques. The Jamia mosque is the largest of all and also a remarkable landmark. The Catholic church's twin bell towers are also among the remarkable landmarks of Isiolo town. Generally the town has hot climate and has avenues of trees within the town to provide shade. During June–August period the town experiences strong dry winds and is generally very dusty. Daisy Waugh's book ''A Small Town in Africa'' (1994) is about six months Waugh spent living in Isiolo. American actress Drew Barrymore opened The Barrymore Learning Academy, a school in Isiolo, in 2004.

Notable people

Grace Lolim is a human rights and peace activist, the chair of the Isiolo Peace Committee.

Transport

Isiolo is on the paved A2 highway from

to the

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

n border. The town is served by

Isiolo Airport Isiolo Airport , also Isiolo International Airport is an airport located in Isiolo, Isiolo County, and Meru County, Kenya. Location Isiolo Airport is located on the border of Isiolo, in Isiolo County with half of the runway extending into Mer ...

, which has been upgraded to an international airport to serve tourism and local exports.The Standard, November 7, 2006
Isiolo to get international airport
/ref>

Capital Change

George Wajackoyah George Luchiri Wajackoyah is a legal practitioner based in Nairobi, Kenya and an independent political campaigner. Wajackoyah was also a presidential candidate in Kenya's 2022 General Election held on 9 August 2022. He was running under the Roo ...

in his

manifesto A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government. A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or public consensus or promotes a ...

mentioned that he would change the national capital of

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

to Isiolo, but some speculate that he was high on marijauna.

References

External links